Die cut lock top for paper boxes



April 25, 1939. w. v. cRooK DIE CUT LOCK TOP FOR PAPER BOXES Filed June28, 1937 Suventoi' (Ilm-nena Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFicE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to die out box locks for paper boxes and isparticularly designed for use in locking telescopic boxes, such as suitboxes, to obviate the necessity of tying them together with string,gummed tape, or the like, although the lock may be used on any box whereone side Wall telescopes another.

A further object of the invention is to produce a box lock of thegeneral character set forth which does not'necessita-te the use of anymaterial over and above that used in cutting the blank from which acorresponding box would be made, if not equipped with the lock of theinvention.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a box lock which,when used in connection with boxes of the suit box type in particular,will so lock the telescoping side walls that the tendency of the sidewall of the top Vor cover, to bulge outwardly is overcome and said wallis held close to and parallel with the side wall of the b-ottom memberof the box.

With the general objects named in viewand others as will hereinafterappear, the invention consists incertain novel and useful features ofconstruction and Organization of parts as hereinafter described andclaimed; and in order that it maybe fully understood, reference is to behad to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a fragmental perspective section through a telescopic 'boxshowing the lock in closed or operative position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the inner face of the box showing thelocking extensions or ears in overlapping location in relation to theinner wall l,and substantially parallel to the same.

Figure 3 is a section through the lock as it appears in Figure 1 and 2,with the locking tongue of the outer wall dotted in the position itassumes in the operation of locking or unlocking the box parts.

Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a perspective View of the repressible flaps formed in theinner wall of the box.

In the said drawing, where like reference characters identifycorresponding parts in all of the iigures, i is the bottom an-d 2 thetopy member of a telescoping box, such as a suit box, and 3 and 4 arerespectively the side walls of the bottom and top box members. At oneorv more points in the lengths of the side walls to be locked togetherto hold the top in position; and

if applied to a suit box, being arranged in duplicate relation atopposite sides of the box, the inner wall 3 is formed with a pair ofsubstantially vertically extending, as regards the heighth of the box,.openings or slots 5 which are illustrated as formed at the ends ofopposite extending flap members These naps 6 are adapted for repressioninto the box and for guiding engagement with a locking tongue formed onthe overlapping outer wall of the box, as will hereinafter moreparticularly appear.

The side wall or walls 4 of the box topK 2 at points corresponding inlocation to that of the flaps 6 in the side Walls of the box bottom, areformed with tongues 'I of substantially rectangu' lar outline, andhingedly or swingingly connected to the box wall along a score line 8extending parallel to the longitudinal axes of the Oppositely projectingflaps 6. The hinge portion 8 is arranged adjacent the free edge of theside wall 4 to yassist in holding such side wall against bulgingoutwardly away from parallelism with the inner wall 3. Extending inopposite directions from the body of the tongue 1 are a pair ofextension ears 9,- preferably mounted to swing on scored hinge lines l0,to an angular relation with the body of the tongue as shown in dottedlines in Figure 3.

Normally the box is unlocked and the entire area of the flaps (i and thetongues 1, including their ears 9, lie in theplane of the side walls ofwhich they form a part. When it is desired to lock the box, the operatorinserts his finger nail into the cut Yout segment l l, and swings thetongue l' outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3. Inthis position the side ears S of the tongue are in the same plane as thebody of the tongue, it being understood that the distance the tonguemust be swung outwardly depends on the area of the ears 9, that is thegreater the area adjacent the hinge point 8, the further the tongue mustbe swung outwardly, so that when the operator presses inwardly on theopposite ears and swings them to their dotted line position Figure 3,their edges will be in position overlying the openings 5 in, the innerwall of the box adjacent the bases of the flaps B. While the ears 9 arebeing held in this position, the tongue l is swung backwardly around itshinge 8, and this action causes the edges of the ears 9 to repress theflaps B and start to enter into the box. The pressure on the ears 9 isnow released and by the combined guiding action of the iiaps B and thecontents of the box, the ears are directed into substantial parallelismwith the inner face of the box wall 3 and into ove-rlapping relationwith the same as shown in Figure 5. When the parts are in this position,it will be evident that any tendency of the top to move upwardly out oftelescoping relation with the bottom of the box, will be overcome bycontact of the upper edges of the ears 9 with the upper corners of theopenings 5 cut in the inner wall of the box. When the box is to beopened the above movements are reversed.

It is to be noted in this connection that by placing the hinge line 8adjacent the lower or free edge of the telescoping box top, the tendencyo-f such wall to bulge or move out of parallelism with the inner wall isovercome, although, of course, the hinge may be at the top edge of thetongue, and as far as the locking of the box is concerned, the actionwill be just as effective as that of the preferred construction.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced aconstruction embodying all of the features of advantage set forth asdesirable, and while I have described and illustrated the preferredembodiment, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to allchanges within the spirit of the invention and without the ambit of theprior art.

l claim:

1. A lock for telescopio paper boxes comprising top and bottom boxmembers having side walls in telescoping relation, the inner wall havinga pair of spaced vertically extending slots with their ends terminatingintermediate the height of said wall, and the outer wall being formedwith a tongue of oblongrectangular shape, the long axis being parallelto the bottom of the box, said tongue being cut free of the box wallexcept for a limited area along its bottom edge to prevent outwardbulging of the bottom edge of the outer wall when the two walls areinterlocked, the ends of the tongue constituting extensions and beingengaged with the slots of the inner wall only by swinging the tongueoutwardly around its attached edge and then bending the extensionsupwardly to substantially right angles to the body of the tongue andinto alinement with the slots in the inner Wall.

2. A lock for telescopic paper boxes comprising top and bottom boxmembers having side walls in telescoping relation, the inner wall havinga pair of spaced vertically extending slots with their ends terminatingintermediate the height of said wall, and the outer wall being formedwith a tongue of oblong rectangular shape, the long axis being parallelto the bottom of the box, said tongue being cut free of the box wallexcept for a limited area along its bottom edge to prevent outwardbulging of the bottom edge of the outer wall when the two walls areinterlocked, the ends of the tongue constituting extensions and beingengaged with the slots of the inner wall only by swinging the tongueoutwardly around its attached edge and then bending the extensionsupwardly to substantially right angles to the body of the tongue andinto alinement with the slots in the inner wall, that portion of thetongue between the extensions being in the plane of the outer Wall whenthe parts are locking in position, and a recess in the free edge of thetongue adapted to be engaged by an operator to swing the tongueoutwardly to withdraw its extensions from the slots in the inner walls.

3. A look for paper boxes comprising top and bottom box members havingside walls adapted for telescoping relation, the inner wall being`formed with a pair of spaced vertically extending slits having theirinner ends terminating short of the top and bottom of the wall, and theouter wall having a generally rectangular-shaped tongue connected to thewall by a hinge line intermediate one long side of the tongue so thatthe tongue may be swung outwardly to a position substantially at rightangles to the box wall, and

a pair of earsI at the opposite ends of the tongueA formed by a pair ofparallel score lines extending transversely across the tongue, said earsbeing insertable into the slits only by swinging the tongue around itshinge outwardly from the box wall until the ears can be swung to angularrelation;

with the body of the tongue and in substantial alinement with saidslits.

4. A lock for paper boxes comprising top and bottom box members havingside walls adapted for telescoping relation, the inner wall being of thetongue forming a pair of extensions mounted to swing on parallelvertical hinge lines, said extensions being adapted to Jbe swung toangular relation to the tongue when the latter is swung outwardly on itshinge so that said tongues can come into endwise abutment with andrepress the aps for entry through and interlocking engagement with theinner wall of the box.

WILLIAM V. CROOK.

